Controversy Erupts as Athlete Alleged to Be Transgender Wins World’s Strongest Woman Title in Texas

• The 2025 World’s Strongest Woman final faced controversy after Jammie Booker, an athlete alleged to be transgender, won the gold medal over Andrea Thompson. Thompson reportedly walked off the podium, appearing to say “this is bulls.”
• Three-time winner Rebecca Roberts stated that neither competitors nor organizers knew about Booker’s background, and publicly condemned the win, arguing that women’s sports must remain biologically female-only due to “undeniable physical differences.”

The 2025 World’s Strongest Woman final in Arlington, Texas, has been plunged into controversy after Jammie Booker, an athlete alleged to be transgender, won the gold medal, beating Great Britain’s Andrea Thompson.

Thompson reportedly walked off the podium, appearing to say “this is bulls,”* while her coach and peers have since crowned her the “true World’s Strongest Woman.”

Three-time winner Rebecca Roberts sensationally claimed that Booker’s background was not known by competitors or even the organizers. A 2017 YouTube video attributed to Booker’s channel featured the athlete stating:

‘Everyone is dying to tell their own story and I am obviously no exception to that. I’m 21-year-old trans woman with a history of abuse, struggling to stay true to herself while under the rule of her religious parents.’

Roberts posted a statement on Instagram vowing to speak out against the inclusion of trans women in the sport:

“I hold no hate toward transgender people… But I cannot stay silent about something that threatens the fairness and future of women’s strength sports. Transgender women, people born male, should not be competing in the women’s category.”

She argued that the physical differences in strength sports are undeniable:

“This isn’t about identity. It isn’t about politics. It’s about the undeniable physical differences that exist in strength-based sports… differences that don’t disappear, and that matter more here than almost anywhere else.”

Roberts concluded by stressing a lack of transparency and crowning Thompson the legitimate winner:

“What happened this weekend wasn’t transparent. None of us knew. Not even the organisers knew. And when fairness is taken by surprise, trust in the sport begins to crack… Congratulations to @andreathompson_strongwoman… the true World’s Strongest Woman 2025”